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Diving Bonaire: Human Cleaning Station!
Bonaire Talk: Diving Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2004-08-15 to 2005-06-05: Human Cleaning Station!
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Burnham (BonaireTalker - Post #45) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 10:16 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Had a very enjoyable dive yesterday (9 Jan 2004) on the Yellow Submarine Reef. We saw two sea horses, a very friendly turtle, a placid porcupine fish, a hunting octopus, and then this:
Human cleaning 1
As usual, there were many groups of grunts. This small group of 8 or so French Grunts were very interested in our hands. They followed us for over 100 feet along the reef. If you stopped and offered your hand, they would mob up around and begin nipping the skin (startling, but not painful). We offered our hands to all the other groups of grunts we came across, but no other grunts were interested.

Has anyone else seen such behavior?

To locate this human cleaning station, get in at the Yellow Submarine Pier, go out to the reef dropoff (where shallow sandy area meets the reef) and go south for about 100+ yards.
Human cleaning 2
Human cleaning 3
Human cleaning 4
Human cleaning 5
Human cleaning 6
Human cleaning 7

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Cousino (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1318) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 11:13 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Roger, Thanks for sharing these great photos.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Debbie Babcock (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #857) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 11:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Very interesting, Rodger. Nice pictures too. Never had that happen, but will look for them in February. Debbie

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mary Mueller (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3578) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 11:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Roger -very interesting -thanks for sharing!!! Can't say I have ever had a group of grunts want to nibble my hands!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Greg Zeneski (BonaireTalker - Post #55) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 11:29 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I'd bet someone has been feeding them by hand...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By DARLENE ELLIS (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1311) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 11:47 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Awesome shots and what fun that must have been!!!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By The Ginocchio's @ Golden Reef Inn (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #555) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 2:41 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Roger,

Too cool! We will be on the island in 9 days...can't wait! Look forward to meeting you again (We met briefly at Michael's).

Liz

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Babs (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #7285) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 5:37 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hmmm, the question is what were you eating that may have appealed to the fish?? :-) Last time I had a fish nibble (okay bite!) at my hand it was a chub who wanted what was left in a fish bait bag that I was removing after someone left it behind on the reef...

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4539) on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 6:57 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Fascinating, Roger! Thanks for posting the pics. I used to have some white fish in Aruba always nibble on my painted fingernails when I would stand or float in the water. I don't know if it was the color of the nailpolish or the polish, itself that attracted them... It was a bit shiny/irridescent which might have been the attraction.

Those guys were really enjoying your hands, tho! Real chow hounds....looks like one of them is kissing your hand like crazy! LOL. Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Meryl Virga (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4367) on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 1:15 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Very cool....Can't wait to try that! I also want to know if you just had breakfast or lunch?!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert Lassiter (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 11:26 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Roger,
Thanks for those fascination pictures. Can’t say I have ever seen such a site. I started putting on my gear as soon as the pictures hit my computer. Very nice. We did have a great dive with Larry “Wildside” yesterday. We were in the water for two dives and drifted about a mile on the East side. We saw it all. One of the largest lobsters came out to show us his girth and I thought of you and how we should have had a picture of this creature. I guess this week has been one of the best. We were in the bay on Saturday and saw Bonaire’s largest barracuda. What a fish. See you at OFCC on Wednesday and will fill in the missing siteings.
Bob Lassiter

 


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